The present invention relates to a combination floor fan and window fan, and in particular to means for conveniently and simply mounting the fan unit in a window opening.
There has long been a need for a multidirectional household fan which is versatile enough to be used both as a window-mounted fan and as a floor fan. One type of well known prior art fan comprises a rectangular frame which can be supported either on the floor, when it is utilized to recirculate air within a room, or on a windowsill, when it is used as an intake or exhaust fan. One problem with this type of fan, however, is that many windows do not have sills which are sufficiently large to accommodate the fan so that special brackets or a shelf must be mounted to the window frame to provide the necessary support. A further disadvantage is that the fan customarily sets completely within the window opening so that the only air which is exhausted by it, in the exhaust mode, comes from behind. As is known, this is quite inefficient in terms of the volume of airflow per unit time in comparison to havng the unit set back from the window where air can be drawn into the sides of the airstream produced by the fan.
In some window fans of this type, a reversible electric motor is provided so that the fan can operate in the intake as well as the exhaust mode. Due to the fact that the fan blades do not operate efficiently in the reverse direction, however, this is unsatisfactory. Manual reversal of the fan in the window is inconvenient because the fan must be completely removed from the window.
Another type of prior art fan, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,095, comprises a tubular open frame wherein the motor driven fan is pivotally connected thereto for rotation about a horizontal axis. Although this fan functions well as a floor fan, special brackets are required to enable its being mounted to the window opening. This substantially reduces the versatility of the fan because it can be mounted only in those windows which have been provided with special mounting brackets.